Bird flu has been detected in a population of large skuas, also known as predatory gulls, on Bird Island, an island in South Georgia. These are the first known cases of bird flu in the Antarctic region.
This has a British research station, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), let them know. The disease on the remote island is believed to have been caused by the return of birds from their migration to South America, where bird flu is prevalent.
Bad news
The detection of bird flu on this island is bad news, says Thijs Kuiken. He is a bird flu expert and affiliated with Erasmus MC. The previously outlined scenario of a mass death in Antarctica appears to be a fact. “Many bird species are found on the island, such as albatrosses and penguins. These are susceptible to bird flu.”
According to Kuiken, the great skua, the seabird in which the virus has been found, is a predatory gull. It takes eggs and young from other birds. “This brings the bird into other colonies, such as those of penguins, albatrosses and seagulls, and can therefore spread the virus.”
Mass death
There is a chance that the virus is already on the Antarctic mainland. “It is about 2,000 kilometers from mainland South America to Bird Island. From South America directly to Antarctica is about 1,000 kilometers, so much closer. It would make sense if the virus has already reached Antarctica, “But it is a large area with very few people and bird flu has not yet been officially diagnosed there.”
If the virus is at the South Pole, bird mortality of 50 to 75 percent is expected in some colonies. “Birds live close together, which accelerates the spread. Entire penguin colonies can collapse.”
Kuiken explains how bird flu can cause mass death at the South Pole in the video below:
Become extinct
If this happens, according to Kuiken, it will take years for some bird species to return to pre-bird flu levels. “For example, the penguin only reproduces once a year. Albatrosses only have a young one every two or three years.”
Most seabirds occur in large numbers and are therefore unlikely to become extinct anytime soon. “However, on some Antarctic islands there are endemic species that only occur there, and of which there are only a few hundred. They are at risk of becoming extinct due to bird flu.”
2023-10-24 10:44:26
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